Plan B - nearby hideaway?
 

Hi. I now live in Austin & I used to live in DFW. I need help from other Texans on where I can take my husband when I kidnap him.

This is Plan B. I'm just planning ahead but I want to locate some place to go to tell my husband some great news. Since he goes to school M-Th as well as works Full-time W-Sa I need to know where we can go when we only have from late Saturday night until Monday before noon. Flying would eat up too much time I'm afraid.

Does anyone have any suggestions of some ideallyc place where maybe hardly anyone else knows about but is open for rental and where they would allow us to stay just one or two nights? I would prefer to keep the drive down to 6 hours or less. Is there a fabulous cabin in the woods or a beach-front private cottage on the gulf?

I am pretty open about suggestions but I would like someplace a little away from Austin so it would feel more like a new or faraway destination. We like antique shops, funky restaurants, beautiful sights, museums, leisure activities. (Actually, my Plan A is some place like Bar Harbor, Maine or the S.C. coast.) Any ideas for Plan B?

I can't address cabins, but my husband and I enjoyed a quick trip to Jefferson, Texas one weekend when we were about 25. We stayed at a B&B, took tours of a couple of old houses, and paddled a canoe somewhere nearby, among other things. We went to a famous small restaurant one night. It was a great getaway. I think you could get names of B&Bs and the restaurant from a Texas guidebook.

There are a lot of possibilities at: http://www.greatstaysoftexas.com/ Lots of luck and congratulations on your "good news"!

I really love Canyon of the Eagles on Buchanon Lake, west of Burnet, TX. www.canyonoftheeagles.com . Since you're in Austin, that's a short enough trip, and it's all about relaxing. They have cute cabins, a lodge with restaurant, wonderful views, available kayaks and canoes down on the lake as well as the "Vanishing Eagle River Cruise", "star" parties for viewing the stars (although that may be Sat. nights), hiking, etc. Highly recommend it. BUT, since this is mainly relaxing and seeing the scenery, there's not alot in the way of the antiquing and touring you mentioned (no matter what they tell you about the supposed Burnet Square...although there is a winery on the other side of the lake from Canyon of the Eagles). So there's also the old stand-by's of Fredericksburg or Salado. Goodness knows there are tons of B&B's around there...and Fredericksburg has the Admiral Nimitz museum.

I can tell you, re: the previous posters suggestion, my sister enjoys visiting Jefferson.

Hey guys, thanks for the great advice. I have been looking into the suggestions.

I suppose I should be more clear. I don't exactly have the great news to tell yet. I just want to be prepared if/when I have some. I titled this Plan B because ideally I would like to whisk us off to Maine or Washington State or someplace like that -- someplace in the continental U.S. but that we haven't been to yet. I have to be practical though. It would all depend on what else we have going on at the time. I realize this is too much info but there it is. :-}